The three-day event will see the participation of more than 150 buyers and 300 sellers from Vietnam and abroad and attract 10,000 visitors. Since 2005, it has grown at an average of 30% a year.

A message from Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Tran Chien Thang at the conference on June 4 said it was an ideal forum for buyers to obtain the latest information on tourism products and services, establish business contracts, and learn about new business contacts and tourism trends in the three countries as well as in the neighbourhood.

Nguyen Bao Anh, deputy chief of the Tourism Promotion Division, said organisers had carried out a campaign to attract buyers, including advertisements on international publications like traveldailyasia and TTG Asia.

They had also co-ordinated with the Tourism Promotion Organisation for Asia-Pacific Cities to introduce the expo in 51 cities in 13 countries, he said.

The expo will feature a tourism investment conference involving senior delegates from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

They will discuss issues related to tourism investment, development and operations, the inaugural tourism alliance awards & gala dinner, and other issues.

In 2007, the tourism ministers of the three countries signed a joint declaration to accelerate co-operation through action plans to promote integrated tourism in their countries.

ITE 2009 will be organised by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, HCMC Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and IIR Exhibitions Pte Ltd.